Trimble ships SketchUp 2022
Trimble has released SketchUp 2022, the latest version of its architectural modelling software.
The workflow and performance-focused release adds new search options for menu commands and scenes, new Lasso select and Tag tools, updates to curve drawing, and native support for Apple’s M1 processors.
Users with Studio subscriptions also get updates to LayOut’s Auto-Text system.
New search options for menu commands and scenes
Changes in the desktop edition of SketchUp 2022.0 include a context-sensitive Search tool for finding and activating SketchUp commands: a feature previously only available in the free web edition.
Users can also now filter SketchUp scenes by name, and jump to the scene selected in the search results.
New Tag and Lasso tools, plus updates to curve modelling
New workflow tools include a Tag tool, for applying visibility tags to entities by clicking on them directly in the modelling window; and a self-descriptive Lasso select tool.
The curve drawing tools have also been updated, with the Freehand tool now generating smoother curves. The curves are also no longer locked to a single plane, and can follow the surface of a model in 3D.
It is also now possible to lock the tangency from an existing edge when using the arc tools.
Workflow and performance improvements
Workflow improvements include better logic when picking entities in models with visible section planes, and support for custom co-ordinate axes when using the Standard View commands.
Trimble also says that it is tackling the longstanding issue in which model geometry is ‘clipped’ in modelling windows, reducing unwanted clipping when switching camera views or zooming in on a model.
Performance improvements include a “2-3x improvement” when exploding large models.
The software’s model error checking and fixing system – made automatic in SketchUp 2021 – is now “between 1.5x and 5x” faster, and should no longer delete small faces incorrectly.
SketchUp now natively supports Apple’s M1 processors, which should improve performance on new Macs.
LayOut: updates to Auto-Text, new zoom and find and replace options
LayOut, the module for generating 2D documentation from 3D models, available to users with SketchUp Pro and Studio subscriptions, has also been updated.
The Auto-Text system, which generates block text based on scene metadata, gets new tags for page management, generating tables of contents, and pulling in viewport information.
Users can also now zoom in automatically to a selection within a LayOut page, and find and replace text.
Since the release of SketchUp 2021.1, the cost of Studio subscriptions has been permanently cut from $1,199/year to $699/year, the new price having been initially described as a limited-time discount.
Pricing and system requirements
SketchUp 2022.0 is available for Windows 10+ and macOS 10.15+ on a rental-only basis.
Subscriptions cost $119/year for SketchUp Shop, $299/year for SketchUp Pro, and $699/year for SketchUp Studio. See a feature comparison table for the three subscription plans here.
There is also a free, feature-limited web-based edition of SketchUp, SketchUp Free. An experimental new iPad edition is available in beta.
Read an overview of the new features in SketchUp 2022.0 on Trimble’s blog
Read a full list of new features in SketchUp 2022.0 in the online changelog